Mulholland is one of my favorite publishers, and when I read the blurb for You'll Thank Me for This, I knew I had to request. Forest/survival stories give me nightmares, so I was thrilled to be approved and quickly dove in.

Twelve year old Karin is set to embark on her dropping, a Dutch Scout tradition where children are blindfolded and left in the woods to find their way back to base camp. But when things start to go wrong, Karin finds herself separated from her group--but definitely not alone. At the same time, her mother, Grace, discovers her second husband might be keeping something from her--a secret that could put Karin in the line of danger.

I enjoyed this book.

First, the premise is incredibly unnerving and the epitome of tension. Unattended minors lost in the woods equates to endless possibilities for danger. The cultural aspect of the tradition is also interesting, as rarely will you find something like this happen in the US. I loved the exploration of Veluwe and could've read an entire book where the focus was on Karin's survival in the dense, dark woods.

Karin's character reminded me a lot of Hannah, the fictional girl raised in the woods by her father after he goes rogue from a dangerous corporation. Her mannerisms felt age-appropriate, and I think readers will relate to her predicament.

There were a few things that kept me from loving this book. The story was structured well but I had a pretty good handle on where it was going early on. In terms of readability, the prose felt a little stiff at times. Dialogue didn't seem to come naturally and had a layer of formality that didn't match the flow of every day conversation. I understand this could be a translational thing, as some of the Norwegian and Swedish thrillers I read have that same lilt, but in this case, I found the cadence to be distracting and thought the conversations could've been a little more relaxed. I'm also not sure I loved Karin's voice. At times, the diction (excessive likes or creepys or ums) read as an adult trying to write a child rather than an actual twelve year old, but since her maturity rang true, I don't think this will be a major issue for most readers.

Overall, You'll Thank Me for This is a taut, balanced suspense with an interesting twist to the lost-in-the-woods story line. I'd recommend for fans of international suspense, anyone interested in family dramas, or layered survival stories.

Big thanks to Mulholland and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

Thank you #Netgalley and Mulholland Books for allowing me to read this arc. Based on the description and the early reviews I had high hopes for this book. I loved the beginning when the kids went to the woods. If there had been more scenes about the woods I probably would have liked this book more. When the wife was home alone and started looking around, it all started to fall apart for me. I was expecting a creepy thriller so was disappointed that it was not creepy or thrilling. Someone that doesn't want thrills, just a plain mystery, might enjoy this book. Two and a half stars rounded up to three

This book was received as an ARC from Mulholland Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Usually I am not a fan of thrillers but when I read this book description, somehow I was attracted to this storyline. As I read I could not help but think Revenant meets Hunger Games because of the survival skills and finding your way through the woods to the promise land. I admire the courage and determination Karin had throughout her journey all to be reunited with her mother. Then the twist of the century happens and Karin is blindsided and wonders what the purpose even was. I know there will be a cult following for this book and it definitely left my heart racing.

We will consider adding this title to our Adult Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

I had to verify that it was a Dutch tradition where parents drop their kids in the forest to find their way home. Yes...it's real. I honestly couldn't believe it but it made me grab this book and I'm sure glad I did. It kept me up late reading to find out what was going to happen.

This is a very fast passed psychological thriller, just when you think you have it figured out you turn the page and realize you are wrong. There is an under tone of the mother daughter relationships in this story, also the adolescence coming of age saga that we all have been through. I was able to read this in one sitting, I need to reread it and absorb more of it. Great story, will be recommending this to a lot of different readers.

A twelve-year-old girl wants to participate in a rite of passage in her Dutch heritage. She will be blindfolded and taken to a remote area from which she must make her way to the safety of a camp. The activity is protected by many safeguards, but what happens when one of them fails? Never mind that, who is behind the failure?

I enjoyed the setting and the overall premise of this book, and it did hold my attention all the way through. However, as certain facts were revealed, the resolution seemed fairly predictable. Still, this was a solid good read, which should appeal to many readers. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC for an honest review.

This book is so creepy. It’s based on an ancient custom of blindfolding children and leaving them alone in the woods which is terrifying. I would classify this book is part thriller part horror. Either way it’s an epic read.